At least one vote for US education

September 15, 1993

Your special report ``World Media Education,'' Sept. 8, offers some provoking insights. But as a product of both the British and United States systems, I'd like to propose a more careful examination of the true meaning of the word ``education.''

I endured the British educational system until I was 21 years old. At the age of 16, I was forced into deciding what my future career path would be. From then on through university, I was permitted to take only specific subjects, such as engineering, math, and chemistry, to further my usefulness to society.

In hindsight, having been exposed to the humanities in the US, I recognize that what I received in Britain was not education but training. There is a significant difference between the two concepts. In the US, individuals are encouraged to think holistically. In contrast, individuals in Britain are trained to conform and to become useful and productive members of society. For all its faults, the US education system appears to produce well-educated, rather than well-trained, human beings. Len Milich, Tucson, Ariz.

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